Sign-letter and the like



P. 0. GROVE.

SIGN LETTER AND THE LIKE.

APPLlCAT-LON FILED FEB. 7, |921.

mm @en 4, 192m .UNITED STATES PAUL 0. GROVE, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SIGN-LETTER .AND THE LIKE.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, PAUL 0. GROVE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Letters and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sign letters and the like, and it has for one of its objects the provision of a prismatic letter or other character formed of sections, each of whose surfaces has portions at an angle with each other so as to receive and reiect light regardless of the point from which it is viewed. Y i

A further object is to provide a letter of this kind in which the prism-like sections areY secured in a simple and durable manner to a foundation or body portion and in which the sections are of certain outlines capable of conjoint use in forming any letter of the alphabet, and other characters.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a letter or other character which can be as readil seen at night when projecting artificial light thereagainst as during the day, and in which the surfaces, formed at different angles, will reflect light so that the letter will be brilliant and attractive, and when employed in a sign will make the sign easily readable from any point of view.

A further object of my invention is to provide a letter of this kind, preferably of the octic type, in which prisms are used to form the vertical, horizontal and angular portions of the letter, and in which such sections are made of glass or other trans-A parent material, hollow at vided with a backing of gold-leaf or other shiny substance, giving the letter the appearance of being illuminated when light is projected thereagainst.

With these and other objects in view to appear hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a, front view of a letter of the the rear and pro- Specication of Letters Patent. Application led February 7, 1921.

Patented Oct. a, 1921i.

Serial No. 442,978.

octic type constructed in accordance with my invention, all letters of the ,alphabet being constructed in a similar manner.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of one of the prismatic sections facing the letter.

In the construction of a letter according to my invention, I employ a foundation or body portion A, which is cut out of wood or other suitable material to the shape of the desired letter,`and along the marginal portions of the outer side of this foundation or body portion retainer strips B are secured br means of nails or otherwise, the inner e ge of each strip being undercut, as at C.

Applied to the outer side of the foundation or body portion are hollow prism-like sections D, E, and F, which are formed of glass or other transparent material and each section has a plurality of surfaces arranged at an angle with each :"ther, each of said surfaces being preferably of 'triangular shape, and all the surfaces of each section coming to a point at the center or substantially the center of the section.

These sections are molded or otherwise formed with a hollow interior by depressing the inner surface or surfaces, and against the depressed inner surface or surfaces of each section gold-leaf G or other reflecting material or substance is applied so that the exterior will be given a bright appearance. The sections D are of rectangular formation and are conveniently employed at the ends or terminals of a letter and also at the center of a vertical portion of the letter, and at times in the horizontal portion of a letter.

The sections E have their outer and inner edges parallel and the two remaining or end edges converging inwardly, being there fore of key-stone formation or approximating a trapezoid. These sections are employed at the corners of the letter except when said corners are arranged at perfect right angles, as for instance employed at the terminals of the letter illustrated.

The sections F have their inner and outer edges parallel. one of their end edges at an l acute-.langle vto the outer edge and the other end 'edge at va rightangle to said parallel edges. These sections are employed between the key-stone shaped or trapezoidal sections and the rectangular sections, with that end of the section arranged at right angles to the parallel edges in contact wlth one of the edges of the rectangular section and with the other end edge in contact with one of the converging edges of the key-stone shaped or trapezoidal section.

With the prismatic sections placed against the foundation or body portion of the letter and abutting one another and the outer marginal portions of the sections engaged by the undercut inner edge of the outer retainer strips,`previously fastened to the foundation or body portion, the retainer strips are fastened to the inner marginal portion of the letter and with their inner undercut edges engage the inner marginal portions of said sections. The sections are therefore held firmly in place and serve as facing prisms for the foundation or body portion. p

It is of course to be understood that the retainer strips are finished in any suitable manner to conceal the nails or other fastenin means employed.

tters of this kind have a-bright-appearance in dayli ht and make an attractive sign and the angu ar surfaces of the sections reiiect the light in all directions, particularly when exposed to sunlight, or at night when the rays of artificial lights are directed thereagainst. The sign will be clearly readable from all angles and have the appearance of an interiorly lighted sign. All advantages of an interiorly lighted sign are secured Without necessitating the use of the numerous lights required in an interiorly lighted silgn. 1

While have shown my sign constructed with a foundation or backing of the same outline as the latter, it will be apparent that the prismatic sections may be assembled to form any of the letters of the alphabet, or any other character, .by fastening them in any approved manner to any suitable sup.- port, such as a Wire trellis or the like, as it is not necessary that the depressed or'hollow 'rear of the sections be entirel closed to secure the results desired. ovvever, as a means of making a suitable and durable letter or numeral for sign purposes, and one that is complete and readily applicable to a sign board or the like, the construction illustrated and described is very desirable.

It is of course understood that in some letters of the alphabet and possibly in many characters, there will be no use for the sectionsEo F.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l 1. A letter or other character kcomprising a series of abuttin transparent sections, provided with a re ecting material at the rear, each section having a plurality of surfaces arranged at an angle one with the other, and means :engaging the outer and inner marginal portions of said sections to secure and retain the same in related position. l

y2. A letter or other character having straight -lined and angular portions and comprising a plurality of hollow transparent sections arranged to abut each other, the sections at the 'angular portions being of key-stone formation and the sections at the straight portions being of rectangular formation and of a formation in which one end edge of a section is arranged at an acute `angle to the other end edge with the acuteangled `edge abutting against one edgev of the key-stone shaped section at the corner of*` the letter.

3. A letter or other-character formed of a y 4 opposite converging end edges and the ad" jommg sections provided with converging edges, each of whichis in contact with one of the converging edges of said corner sections and the remaining section@ being rectangular in formation.

4. A letter or other character comprising a foundation shaped to the outline of the letter or character, hollow'tra'nsparent prismatic sections facing said letter and abutting one against another, reflecting material applied to the rear of each of said sections and retainer strips applied to the marginal portions of said foundation and having undercut inner edges in contact with said sections.

5. A letter or other character comprising a foundation formed to thevshape of the letter or character, transparent prismatic sections hollowed out or depressed. at the rear and each having a bright reflecting material or substance applied to its rear surface or surfaces, and retainer strips applied to the marginal portions of said foundation and having undercut inner edges engaging the inner and outer marginal portions of said sections to secure the latter to said foundation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PAUL O. GROVE. 

